[jimmy bush]

(68 T120) Checked the battery voltage. Went out to the shed to find a set of #190 mains. The plugs seem a bit sooty with the 200's I've been running. Found the 190's and got side tracked updating and rearranging my Amal inventory. Now I can't find the 190's.

 

[jimmy bush]

in search of 190's or "Lost in Space"

Well, after checking my pockets 100 times I went through the Amal box 3 or 4 times checking every little box, nothing. Retraced the paths from the shed to the house several times, nothing, looked aroud the computer, nothing. Checked the garage, bathroom, kitchen table, work bench, washing machine top, nothing. Went out and did a complete sweep of the entire back yard thinking I might have had them in my hand and dropped them during a spontaneous game of chase with the dog that occurred between finding and loosing the jets. Three pounds of dog poop later (figured I might as well accomplish something while I was walking back and forth staring at the ground), nothing. Check the shed, garage, bathroom, kitchen, computer (again), and everywhere else I thought I might have ventured, nothing. I concede defeat. I went to the bathroom to take care of some business and remember throwing away some scraps of cardboard I had removed from the Amal box. Checked the bottom of the trash, Eureka!!!!! Sure wish I would have remembered doing that first.

 

[jimmy bush]

Pulled the plugs on the '68' T120. One was clean and tan, one sooty so cleaned them swapped sides. Tinkered with the carbs. Adjusted the chain and brake light switch. Went for a ride. It ran great so I put the #190 jets back in the shed.
Disassembled, cleaned and inspected two T140 front end assemblies (yokes & forks) to pick the parts I'll be able to use on my brothers bitsa.

 

[jimmy bush]

Started to replace the valve guides in the head I'm using on "my Brothers Bitsa" got the old ones out. They all measured between .5005 and .5010 which is within the std spec. Got out the "std" guides I've had for a few months. Meassured them to be sure before installation. They measured .5015 to .5012 damn! Called the supplier, tech guy out of pocket til Thursday. Went looking in a few auto stores for a headlight and pilot bulbs for 71. No luck so ordered them and some other parts from BCS. Picked up my brothers rear fender and my custom aluminum chain guard form welder.

 

[jimmy bush]

Went for a ride on my '68' T120. Beautiful but chilly day.
Bought a can of paint aircraft stripper from Auto Zone to use on th painted forks and tank for my brothers Bitsa.
"Wished" I could put my Bitsa back together.

 

[jimmy bush]

I've used Aircraft Stripper. It's the best but, read the label. It states, "DO NOT USE ON AIRCRAFT". :laughhard

The airplane I'm building doesn't have paint on it yet so no reason to strip it. If I can ever finish up these Triumph projects I've got going, maybe I can finish the plane.
The California Customs polish I bought is made in and sold from Nebraska. I asked them about that when I ordered it. The sales person said "We'd never sell any if we called it Nebrasks Custom". The bottom line of the instructions clearly states it shouldn't be used on A/C.

 

[jimmy bush]

Installed valve guides in a 750 head. Stripped the paint of lower fork lowers and polished one lower.

 

[jimmy bush]

Polished another lower fork leg and assembled both forks with new stanchions, seals and wipers. Installed the forks in the lower yoke and filled with oil. "Franks Forks" sure deliver a nice product. Sorted bolts and hardware I had Zinc plated. Cleaned and polished the tachometer I'll be installing on the bro's bitsa. Cracked the glass on the speedo whilst disassembling to free up the action. Gotta find a replacement glass.

 

[jimmy bush]

On a friends '71' 120, I cleaned the clutch plates, dresssed down the grooves in the clutch basket and hub, replaced the primary chain, clutch thrust washer & rollers, reassembled and adjusted clutch. Replaced the headlight bulb and installed a pilot light assembly.

 

[jimmy bush]

Changed rocker shaft o-rings, resoldered bad wire end on ignition wire, installed new tank rubber mount on my friends 71.
Went for a nice ride on my '68'. Bright clear sky, 70 degrees.

 

[jimmy bush]

I'll bet that thing can do some monster wheelies.

 

[jimmy bush]

Better put some wheelie bars on it.

 

[jimmy bush]

I got tired of waiting on the powder coater. He had my frames for 4 months and still couldn't tell me when I could expect them so I picked them up and took them to another establishment that promised them in two weeks. We'll see.

 

[jimmy bush]

I took the studs and tappet blocks out of a 750 cylinder and dropped it and a crankshaft at the machinist to be checked in preparation for the next project. Took a broken speedo glass out and left it with a local glass business to have some made. I have two instruments with broken glass so I ordered 3 to have a spare.

 

[jimmy bush]

Today, I rode my Bitsa around town for awhile with a friend on his just restored Royal Enfield 750. Turned some heads for sure.

 

[jimmy bush]

I rode my Bitsa to the vet to pick up some preventative medicine for my dog. Made for a decent ride. Parked it to work on the '68' T120. I swapped out the Tympanium Reg/Rect I've been running for a Sparx unit. The Tympanium had apparently sprung a leak as the battery would go down after sitting a few days. I checked with an ammeter in place of the fuse and saw a small current draw with the key off. I then had to give the T120 a shake down ride to prove the new Sparx was working.

 

[jimmy bush]

Broke it

Went for a spirited ride on my Bitsa with a few stops to eat and visit. It was running great. I stopped at a turn-around to head back to the house and when I accelerated away, the speedometer didn't register. I checked the connections and they were tight. Seems the speedo gear box has died.
On the trip home I was on the freeway most of the way. I got off an exit ramp and stopped at a traffic light. The engine died and wouldn't restart. Lights were bright, horn honked, electricity must be available. When I turned the key off it popped once so seemed to be getting power to the E/I. After sitting on the side of the road a few minutes, I tickled it. Fuel came out of the ticklers but I got nothing for a few kicks. Thinking I may have flooded it, I held the throttle WFO and it fired up. I rode the rest of the way home and it died at a stop sign but fired up again. It died again in the drive. Guess I'll be working on some trouble shooting. Gas tank vent? Plugged petcocks? Sparx E/I overheated?

 

[jimmy bush]

tried to fix it

Re: Broke it!
Checked the plugs, good fire, good color. Turned on the gas, tickled the carbs, one kick start up and idle. HMMMM! Can't fix it if it ain't broke so I attacked the speedo problem. The cable had sheared off just inside the little square part of the pinion in the speedo gearbox. I took the pinion out to check its condition as it seemed to have a lot of play in the bushing. It looked good so I greased the G/B internals and put the G/B back together. While I had the rear wheel out, I made some alignment corrections on the rear caliper hanger caused by thick powder coating on mating surfaces and installed a set of new brake pads I bought awhile back. I found a new inner speedo cable in my stash and installed it in the old outer cable. It turned freely by hand so I put everything back together, adjusted and lubed the chain and fired it up. Dropped it in gear and when the wheel rolled, the speedo jumped one time and went still again. I pulled the new cable out and it was sheared in the same place as the old one. As my 7 year old grandson says, "Barnacles"!

 

[jimmy bush]

I did that but for some reason they never stay on the bolt?

If I try to polish any of my motorcycles, my dog tries to force her way between me and the bike. I guess she thinks I petting it and is jealous. If I'm turning wrenches, she isn't so bad.